Ceramic stove top kit

ABSTRACT

A ceramic stove top kit used to convert a drop in range, a drop in range being a stove top wherein at least one cut out is defined in the countertop of the stove top and wherein below the cut out of the stove top there is at least one electric outlet attached to the stove top, into a flat countertop range, the kit comprises of a heating element, a circular frame, and a glass ceramic. The heating element is connected to an electric source that comes pre-built within the stove top. The circular frame is mounted on the drop in range and is inserted within the stove top&#39;s cutouts and rests on the stove top&#39;s countertop, the circular frame has a lip that runs along the circular frame and extends outward from the circular frame, the lip rests on the countertop of the stove top and a ledge runs along the circular frame and extends inward from the circular frame. The glass ceramic cook top is circular and has a diameter that fits within the circular frame and rests on the ledge of the circular frame.

I hereby claim my priority to my earlier filed provisional applicationhaving provisional application No. 61/007,537 which was filed on Oct.17, 2007.

BACKGROUND

At the present time, it is common to purchase a glass-ceramic stove topwherein the stove tops burners are within the ceramic stovetop/countertop. The ceramic stove tops are flat and thereby lendthemselves to be easily cleaned. Simply by using a sponge and a ceramicstove top cleaner the ceramic stove tops are cleaned.

The present invention is directed to a kit that can be inserted into adrop in range. A drop-in range is a stove top wherein a cut out isdefined in the countertop of the range. Below the cutout there is anelectric outlet near one of the sides of the cutout. A burner pan ismounted on the ledges surrounding the cutout of the countertop. A burneris attached to the electric outlets and the burner usually made to reston a support that rests on the burner pan and sustains the weight of theburner and any cookware placed on the burner.

The problem faced by users of drop in ranges is that runoff of thecookware is spilled within the burner pan. Users of the drop in rangesknew and realized that the burner pans had to be continuously cleaned orfoul odors and pests would soon after follow. Many users lined theburner pans with aluminum foil to facilitate the cleaning process of theburner. Lining the burner pans was laborious and wasteful.

The inventor of the present invention decided that she had to invent akit that would convert a drop in range into a semi-ceramic flat stovetop range.

An object of the present invention is to facilitate the cleaning of adrop in range.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the waste ofaluminum foil when cleaning a drop in range.

A further object of the present invention is to prevent the accumulationof food runoff when cooking and thereby minimizing the odors created bythe runoff.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a ceramic stove top kit used withdrop in ranges. The kit satisfies the need of using aluminum foil tofacilitate the cleaning of drop in ranges and eases the cleaning of samewhen not using aluminum foil. The ceramic stove top kit is used toconvert a drop in range, a drop in range being a stove top wherein atleast one cut out is defined in the countertop of the stove top andwherein below the cut out of the stove top there is at least oneelectric outlet attached to the stove top, into a flat countertop range,the kit comprises of a heating element, a circular frame, and a glassceramic cook top. The heating element might be the same heating elementcurrently used in drop in ranges, the heating element is connected to anelectric connection that comes pre-built within the drop in range. Thecircular frame is mounted on the drop in range and is inserted withinthe stove top's cutouts and rests on the stove top's countertop, thecircular frame has a lip that runs along the circular frame and extendsoutward from the circular frame, the lip rests on the countertop of thestove top and a ledge runs along the circular frame and extends inwardfrom the circular frame. The glass ceramic cook top is circular and hasa diameter that fits within the circular frame and rests on the ledge ofthe circular frame.

The present invention is used in the same way that a modern glassceramic stove top is used. The present invention is cleaned in the samemanner that a modern ceramic stove top is cleaned.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and drawings where:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a ceramic stove top kit used toconvert a drop in range into a flat countertop range, the kit comprisesof a heating element, a circular frame, and a glass ceramic cook top;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the kit on the drop in range, the figureshows the circular frame and the glass ceramic cook top; and

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the kit on the drop in range, the figureshows the heating element and how it connects to the electric connectionprovided by the drop in range and the circular frame on which the glassceramic cook top rests.

DESCRIPTION

As seen in FIG. 1, a ceramic stove top kit used with drop in range, adrop in range being a stove top wherein at least one cut out is definedin the countertop of the stove top and wherein below the cut out of thestove top there is at least one electric outlet attached to the stovetop, the kit comprises of a heating element 10, a circular frame 12, anda glass ceramic cook top 14. The heating element 10 is connected to theelectric outlet of the stove top. The circular frame 12 is mounted onthe drop in range and is inserted within the range's cut out and restson the range's countertop, the circular frame 12 has a lip 12 a thatruns along the circular frame 12 and extends outward from the circularframe 12, the lip 12 a rests on the countertop of the stove top and aledge 12 b runs along the circular frame 12 and extends inward from thecircular frame 12. The glass ceramic cook top 14 is circular and has adiameter that fits within the circular frame 12 and rests on the ledge12 b of the circular frame 12.

An advantage of the present invention is that it facilitates thecleaning of drop in ranges.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it prevents the wasteof aluminum foil when cleaning drop in ranges.

A further advantage of the present invention is that it prevents theaccumulation of food runoff when cooking and thereby minimizing theodors created by the runoff.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions arepossible. Therefore the spirit and the scope of the claims should not belimited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

1. A ceramic stove top kit used to convert a drop in range, a drop inrange being a stove top wherein at least one cut out is defined in thecountertop of the stove top and wherein below the cut out of the stovetop there is at least one electric outlet attached to the stove top,into a flat countertop range, the kit comprises: a heating element, theheating element is connected to the electric outlet of the drop inrange; a circular frame is mounted on the drop in range and is insertedwithin the drop in the stove top's cutouts and rests on the stove top'scountertop, the circular frame has a lip that runs along the circularframe and extends outward from the circular frame, the lip rests on thecountertop of the stove top and a ledge runs along the circular frameand extends inward from the circular frame; and a glass ceramic cooktop, the ceramic cook top is circular in and has a diameter that fitswithin the circular frame and rests on the ledge of the circular frame.